Swimming-collar



G. H. AND I. B.- FLOWERS, SWIMMING COLLAR. APPLICATION F|LED-NOV. 29,1919.

'Patenfied Mar. 23, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cnonen I-I. r-novrnns AND JoHn B. rnownns, or ALBANY, NEW YORK.

SWIMMING-COLLAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

Application filed November 29: 1919. Serial No. 341,552.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE H. FLowERs and JOHN B. FL'owEns, citizens of the United States, residing in the city and county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Swimming-Collar, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides an improvement in swimming appliances whereby a collar of head of a swimmer and to keep the water away from the swimmers eyes, nose, mouth and head. It includes a flexible top which may be attached to the collar if desired when it is intended as a life-preserver in roughwater. A carrying bag of special design made for convenience in carrying the swimming collar is also included.

One object of our invention is to enable beginners to learn to swim in a very short time. During the act of learning the strokes necessary to swim, there has not hitherto existed a simple and convenient device available which a swimmer could wear which would support the head and prevent water entering the swimmers eyes, nose, and mouth. By the wearing of a swimming collar the head is supported by the water and the learner masters all the various strokes which belong to the art of swimming without the discomfiture of nearly strangling and swallowing large quantities of water, which enables beginners to master swimming quickly because they are not frightened by getting the head under water as has been the case hitherto. Another object of our invention is to keep the hair dry during the act of swimming. This is a very desirable object especially for girls where ordinarily after swimming a great deal of time and effort is required to wash and dry the hair-as it is well known that' swimming caps are only partially efi'ective in keeping the hair dry. A third object of our invention is to provide a device for general swimming purposes which will enable the swimmer'to' swim long distances without danger of strangling from water entering his mouth and nose and'which will act as a support or life-preserver in case he is attacked by cramps or fatigue or other trouble. A fourth object of our invention is to protect the swimmer from swallowing polluted water and as there is no danger of that when the swimming collar is used, swimming is now made safe in water hltherto declared unfit for swimming and will open up for swimming purposes the water oppopreserver, with or without the special top to the swimming collar. A sixth object of special construction is used to support the our invention is to provide a device which can be used as a sun-shade or hat by simply removing it from the neck, inverting it and placing it upon the head. A seventh object of our invention is to provide a construction easy and cheap to manufacture, rugged of construction, durable in service, convenient to carry, easily and quickly put on and taken off, comfortable to wear, and handsome of appearance. An eighth object of our invention is to so construct a swimming collar so that the collar will always be upright in the water. By making the attachment to the neck of extremely flexible material and giving the collar a tub shape, all sides of the collar are pushed up equally by the water so that the plane of the collar top will always be nearly horizontal or parallel to the surface of the water thus preventing water flowing over the top edge of the collar and filling it up. This effect is aided by the extreme lightness of the materials employed in the manufacture of the collar which makes it bob up and down like a cork upon the waves. A ninth object of our invention is to make the swimming collar of two or more sizes to adapt it for men, women and children and for packing purposes in shipping from the factory. A tenth object of our invention is to make the swim ming collar useful for swimming in heavy seas or as a life-preserver by placing an extensible top on it or other means. An eleventh object of our invention is to make the swimming collar hardly noticeable to the wearer or to an observer by making the collar of transparent material. A twelfth object of our invention is to produce a construction of the swimming collar which is open to the air so that the swimmer may freely breathe.

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the swimming collar when in use in the water and in place on a swimmer; Fig. 2 is a crosssection of the swimming collar; Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the swimming collar; Fig. l is a side view of the outer ring forming part of the frame of the collar showing a painted pattern; Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the swimming collar inverted and worn as a hat used as a sun-shade; Fig. 6 is a cross section showing an extensible top to the collar; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a carry ng bag; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a carrying bag.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6, A is a sheet of transparent material bent into a cylindrical form and fastened together at the point B either by cement or by pressure and heat or other means. C and D respectively are outside and inside rings for clamping together flexible rubber sheet E and cylindrical collar A and form a rigid holding frame for said collar A. G is a typical method of finishing off a sharp edge by turning over the material at the edge or other equivalent means such as cementing a small celluloid or paroxylin rod along the top edge the collar. F is a hole cut at the center or near the center of the rubber sheet E to allow for slipping the entire swimming collar over the head as shown in Fig. 1. Parts D, A, E, and C are held together by means of cement H or other means such as brads Q. ln Fig. l, J is a typical pattern for the finishing by painting and varnishing or other means of the outside ring C. In Fig. 6, K is flexible waterproof material forming an extensible top which is supported by the hoops L and the helical springs M placed between the hoops L. As illustrated in Fig. 6, the swimming collar is adapted as a life-preserver for use in rough water and when not in use, the flexible top is pushed down inside of the cylindrical collar A for the saving of space. Fi s. 7 and 8 illustrate a carrying bag which is new in that it provides a bag Q for carrying the swimming collar A, the swimming collar A forming a receptacle for the bathing suit B. This combination, that of placing the bathing suit inside the swimming collar and it in turn in the carrying bag, allows the carrying of the swimming collar from home to the water with the utmost convenience, the combined size of the package being in this way little greater than that of the bathing suit and bag without the swimming collar. S is a cord for the gathering together of the top of the bag Q, and P is the gathered top of the bag. The bag Q; is preferably made of flexible cloth, rubber-coated on the inside to prevent water leaking out from a wet bathing suit upon the clothing.

The construction of the swimming collar, top and bag may be modified to suit special uses and havespecial shapes and be made of various materials and this application is intended to cover all such changes and variations.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

We claim as our invention 1. The combination, in a swimming appliance, of a transparent collar with a collar frame therefor and a water-tight connection between the collar and the swimmers neck all substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a swimming appliance, of a transparent collar having a re inforcing ring around its top, with a collar frame therefor, and a water-tight connection between the collar and the swimmers neck, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a swimming appliance, of a transparent water-tight collar having a reinforcing ring around its top, with a water tight collar frame therefor and a water-tight flexible connection between the collar and the swimmers neck, substantially as set forth.

l. The combination, in a swimming appliance, of a transparent, water-tight cylindrical or oval collar having a re-inforcing ring around its top, with a water-tight collar frame therefor and a water-tight flexible connection between the collar and the swimmers neck, substantially as set forth.

5. in a life-preserver, the combination of a transparent, water-tight cylindrical collar having a reinforcing ring around its top, with a water-tight frame therefor and a water-tight flexible connection between the collar and the swimmers neck, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, in a hat, of a transparent cylindrical form open at the bottom and closed partly at the top by flexible macrial, substantially as set forth.

7. An apparatus for use in swimming, comprising a cylindrical body of transparent material and a diaphragm forming the bottom thereof, said diaphragm being of flexible material and having an opening for the passage of the head, the walls of which are adaped to form a water-tight contact with. the neck of the wearer, substantially as set forth.

8. An apparatus for use in swimming, comprising a cylindrical body of transparent material to which is fastened an extensible, water-proof flexible top containing a breathing hole, said cylindrical body having a diaphragm forming the bottom thereof, the diaphragm being of flexible material and having an opening for the passage of the head, the walls of which are adapted to form a water-tight contact with the neck of the wearer, substantially as set forth.

9. An apparatus for use in swimming, comprising a cylindrical body of transparent water-tight material and a diaphragm forming the bottom thereof, said diacylindrical frame, said frame carrying an phragm being of flexible material having ornamental pattern and an end piece forman opening for the passage of the head, ing a closure for one end of the body hav- 10 forming a water-tight contact with the neck ing an opening as and for the purposes set 5 of the wearer, all substantially as set forth. forth.

10. An article for use in swimming, com- GEORGE H. FLOWERS. prising a transparent collar supported by a JOHN B. FLOWERS. 

